Feel-Good Homemade Hamburger Helper (with added veggies!)

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion (chopped)

1 large carrot (grated or finely chopped)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cups baby spinach (roughly chopped or sub 1 cup defrosted frozen spinach)

8-10 ounces elbow macaroni or other small-shaped pasta (use gluten free for a gluten free option.)

3 cups broth

¾ cup plain yogurt (whole milk or 2% recommended)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot or high-sided skillet. Add onion and carrot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add ground beef, breaking it up into small crumbles. Cook until browned. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and paprika. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds to develop the flavors. Add Worcestershire sauce, spinach, pasta, and then stir in the broth.

Cover and bring up to a simmer. Cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. If the liquid fully evaporates before the pasta is cooked, stir in an additional ½ cup of broth or water.

Remove lid then stir in yogurt and cheese. The pasta will absorb more liquid as it sits, so it’s ok if there seems to be a lot of sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed.

Enjoy warm.

Nutrition

• Calories: 316 kcal
• Total Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 51 mg
• Sodium: 526 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 28 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 25 g